We encourage our students to share their experience with Portuguese Connection Language School. If you are one, or have been a student, you can share your experiences by clicking here!
Justyna, Poland 2015-11-21 17:02:42
I was looking for a Portuguese language school for a long time and It took me a while to decide where to go - I was hesitating - maybe it would be better to go to Brazil or somewhere else where Portuguese is spoken, actually It was hard because there is a wide range of schools and each one seems to be great. Now I know that my choice was the best one I could ever make - my experience with this school was wonderful and I do recommend this school - with passion as Joana and other teachers have, you'll go through learning Portuguese faster than you ever thought!
Przez długi czas szukałam odpowiedniego miejsca do nauki języka portugalskiego i nie mogłam się zdecydować, jaką szkołę wybrać... Może lepiej by było pojechać do Brazylii, albo innego kraju gdzie język portugalski jest językiem oficjalnym? Teraz wiem, że mój wybór był jednym z najlepszych, jakich mogłam dokonać i polecam wszystkim pasjonatom portugalskiego tę szkołę. Nauczyciele mają w sobie wiele pasji do nauczania, dzięki czemu czas zajęć mija jak "w oka mgnieniu", a język "wchodzi jak po maśle". :)
Cathal, Ireland 2015-11-13 14:24:12
I highly recommend Portuguese Connection to anyone wishing to study Portuguese in Lisbon. My teachers were Raquel and Joana (also the director), both of whom were absolutely excellent. Their lessons were always stimulating and lots of fun; their approach to teaching was very patient and professional (without being formal), and their classes always seemed very well-organised, with both teachers being completely 'on top' of their subject. They ensured that the students developed their confidence in communicating whilst at the same time always being challenged. I have attended a few language schools over the years, but I can honestly say that Portuguese Connection is the friendliest one that I have been to. Both the teachers and the rest of the other staff (Marco and Laurie) are wonderfully warm, genuine and welcoming, and the school has a relaxed, almost 'family' atmosphere. I will continue to study Portuguese, and I dearly hope to return to Portuguese Connection!
Lachlan Sean, Australia 2015-11-09 06:24:33
Thank you for an awesome week in Lisbon. The team at the Portuguese Connection School made me feel like family in a new (and wonderful) city a long way from home. Will definitely be preaching you guys to my friends back in Australia!
Becky Xavier, USA 2015-10-27 11:53:09
With the help of my teacher, Joana Fabião, I felt I made great progress in only a week. I had tried to learn Portuguese from a language tape and book. Learning with Joana helped me to connect many of the things that I had tried to learn on my own in a fun way. Lisbon was a wonderful city to visit. We especially enjoyed an after class excursion arranged by the school. I hope to return to Lisbon and to continue studies at the Portuguese Connection.
Leonard Xavier, USA 2015-10-25 20:45:39
Wow! What a great experience! From the minute I entered the offices of Portuguese Connection I felt welcomed. Joana, Marco and Laurie managed the trick of being both genuinely friendly and quietly competent in all their interactions with me. And I had some special demands, since my wife was an absolute beginner, and I had experience with the language going back many years. But Joana and Laurie accommodated us both without a second thought. It also helped that Maggie the dog could transcend any language barrier with a few affectionate licks. (What a brilliant idea: a language school with a dog fluent at expressing affection!) The second thing I noticed was how much fun the other students seemed to be having. Learning a language can be daunting, which is why it’s so critical that you learn in an environment that embraces both the didactic and the whimsical. For me, Portuguese Connection was exactly that kind of place. My teacher, Raquel, made even the driest subject interesting and relevant by playfully relating linguistic concepts to everyday life (I now know why the Portuguese talk about “puxando o autoclismo”). But behind her whimsy was a passionate love of the language, which I found infectious. So be warned: learning Portuguese at Portuguese Connection is a blast!
Mario Mendonca, Australia 2015-10-20 18:28:10
G'day from Australia! I was researching a Portuguese Language school for a short term stint and came across Portuguese Connection. I followed them for a few months on Facebook and enjoyed their newsletters and updates which meant that when it was time for me to book a class, I didn't have to do any more research and was very happy to book my week with them. Marco assisted greatly with accomodation and I stayed at Casa de Sao Mamede https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g189158-d235598-Reviews-Casa_De_Sao_Mamede-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html Very convenient; thanks Marco! The school as well is fantastically located! My course schedule was for Goup morning classes (9am to 1pm) and private tutoring (2-4pm). Morning classes were with Raquel. Raquel was extremely engaging and full of interesting discussions on Politics, Social issues, Shopping, Portuguese history and a range of other topics. Raquel kept us engaged by speaking in Portuguese, with English explanations when we could not understand, and we gradually increased our Portuguese Language skills as well as our knowledge of this wonderful country and people. My afternoon private class was with Joanna (de Oliveira Fabiao) My challenge was bringing together the written Portuguese with the spoken Portuguese. Joanna patiently worked with my understanding of sounds and I picked up my listening and speaking skills significantly and increased my confidence as the week progressed. I would have loved to have done a second week as I could feel my skills and confidence growing by the end of the first week. Many thanks to Raquel and Joanna for their patience and for making our classes so interesting. Thanks also to Laurie for taking the time to take us around the city on 2 excursions...most enjoyable and informative. And finally, thanks to Joanna and Marco for creating such a supportive environment for us students of Portuguese. I'm sure there are other schools available, but I would have no hesitancy in coming back to (and recommending) Portuguese Connection for another stint.
Charlaine Claassen, South Africa 2015-10-19 15:53:59
I honestly do not know where to start but this was by far the best experience I have ever had at a language school. The teachers are extremely well trained and speak very clear and slow to help us understand exactly what they are talking about. The classes are very interactive and the teachers always ask us questions to enable us to practice our Portuguese. The vibe at the school is lovely, very warm, welcoming and homely - it felt like family that I knew after such a short time. Portuguese connection teaches you about the Portuguese culture, food (which I loved to talk about), places to go and of course the language which they are excellent at. They also have a lovely tour package which takes you to the best places in Lisbon with their guide, Laurie. I miss my classes already and wish that I could go back - it is not like school - yes, almost, as I learned so much in a short time but it is much much more fun. I can DEFINITELY recommend this school to you - You would learn and laugh at the same time. Thank you to Laurie, Joana, Raquel and Marco! I will come visit again just to see Maggie and of course you special people! Beijinhos
Steve Berneking, USA 2015-10-02 12:17:04
Thirty days @ six hours a day equals six weeks of hard work, excitement, challenges, accomplishments, adventure, unending fun, and surprises. That’s how I can best describe studying Portuguese at Portuguese Connection this past summer. From the first email conversations with Laurie and Marco, to the final day of classes with Joana and Raquel, I knew my choice was perfect for me. Laurie and Marco provided an invaluable and supportive structure to this language school, from administrative details to suggestions for activities and restaurants to neighborhood tours. For me, however, the most impressive element of my stay were the classroom skills and creative pedagogy of Joana and Raquel. I had group lessons each morning with one of them and private instruction each afternoon with the other, which means each day I had both of them. Their teaching styles are markedly different, but both of them are committed to learner-centered teaching, so I felt my learning style and desire to learn were their focus, not some need to cover certain material as a prescribed pace. They tracked my progress as I was handed back-and-forth, and my own performance and interests guided much of the curriculum they crafted and revised for me. Grammar was continuously reinforced with conversation, writing, and speaking, and they were able to work gently with my anxieties in the classroom to open space for my learning. My goal of reaching the B1 Level could not have been possible without the team approach that these four persons demonstrated every day. Thank you to each one of you. How grateful and lucky I am to have spent six weeks with you.
Birgitte Ringstad, Norway 2015-09-23 17:49:59
Portuguese Connection was a great place to start learning Portuguese! The classes were a good combination of practicing the language and learning useful theory. Moreover, the teachers adopted the content of the classes to the student’s needs and learning goals. During two weeks in the beginner course I learnt a lot, examples are useful vocabulary, expressions typical in Portugal and important grammar. The school is located in a nice and central area of Lisbon, a city I would recommend to everyone! :)
Fabian Brites, Australia 2015-09-23 17:48:52
Honestly, I think my lessons with Portuguese Connection were some of the best lessons I've ever taken. The team they have is great, location is great, and there are perfectly located coffee shops, just outside the school, where you can grab quick coffee and some delicious pastries during your study break.
